Figure 6: Oil and gas exploration sites and their location with respect to the area where polar bears are likely to be present in Nunavut

Most oil and gas drilling operations are located north of the Mackenzie River Valley, in the area where polar bears are likely to be present. There is currently limited oil and gas activity in Nunavut. 

Although production volumes are trending lower because some wells are at the end of their productive lives, oil and gas exploration is booming in the area where polar bears are present. According to the Nunavut Planning Commission, there are currently about 50 oil and gas exploration sites in the area where polar bears are likely to be present.

In the Mackenzie River Valley, the Mackenzie Delta and the Beaufort Sea, six new oil and gas exploration permits were issued in 2008.